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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Presoner(e, -ar(e, n. Also: pre(s)o(u)n-, presowner(e, -eir, -ar(e, -air, presunir, presiner, presonner(e, pressenar, preysoner; preasoner, -ar;, presionr; prewssanar; personar. [ME presoner (14th c.), late ME presonar, presunnere, e.m.E. priesoner (1553), common Sc. var. of Prisoner(e n.]

1. One who has been captured in war or has fallen into the hands of an enemy or a private adversary; a captive.Variously const. Also fig. and transf.(1) 1375 Barb. xviii 559 (E).
And syne with presoneris and catell … To Scotland tuk thai hame thar way
Ib. xiv 423. 1397 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 35. ?1438 Alex. ii 4996. Ib. 5125, etc.
Presoners [F. prisonniers]
c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3294.
The king … to the palliouns led the presonneris [:baneris]
a1500 K. Hart 256. c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv (O.U.P.) 37. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 357.
To ane pure presonere in Edinburgh Castele v s.
1533 Gau 48/9.
He is passit wp to the heicht and led the presoners with hime
1535 Stewart 27936. 1542–3 Treas. Acc. VIII 165. 1543 Ib. 189.
To the takkaris of Inglis presouneris
c 1549 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale App. lxxxviii.
[Armstrong of Mangerton to Ker of Fernihurst:] Quhar ye haff presoners in your dungeon, howr servands
1549 Compl. 115/11. Ib. 116/9, 153/3. 1557–8 Edinb. Old. Acc. I 237. 1562-3 Winȝet I 50/19.
As thai war slawes, presoneris and captiues
1569-73 Bann. Memor. 63.
Gif a presoner can thinke ony interteaniment pleasing
1579 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 April. Bisset II 262/3.
Almous … for relevin of the presoneris in Afrik
(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 2333.
Fell neuer sa fare to presoneir Of the disport that I haue heir
1559 Reg. Morton I 8.
Williame maister Merschell presoneir in Ingland … lattin hame in Scotland
(c) 1545 Douglas Corr. 155.
To intreit apoun the entering off the preysoners
(d) a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 145.
Preasoners
(e) c1475 Wall. viii 523.
Off presonaris thai likit nocht to kep
1490 Irland Mir. I 154/14.
In hire [Mary] presonaris findis thar redempcioune
a1500 Bk. Chess 1145.
That he wald declair Thar will of euery Romane presonar
1544 Bk. Carlaverock II 29.
And geyff I be fwnd that I hayff not beyn trew prewssanar and serwand on to heyss maysstie sen I gayff hem my fathte, I am content to rassayff [etc.]
Ib.
Pressonar
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4107.
The rest in Egypt … Presonaris to thare lyuis ende
Ib. 4191.
Off the Romanis … By presonaris, wer fourty thousand slane
1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 28.
Kepit … rather lyke presonaris than princessis
(f) 1573 Reg. Privy C. II 217.
The spoyle thairof … to be dividit amangis thame and the personaris also
(2) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 1950.
Better is de king na leve ane presoner
1544 Bk. Carlaverock II 29.
I hayff leyn lang heyr ane pressenar
1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 135.
That I wald haue send him away presoner
(3) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 1128.
His cistire Salome Al his pressoneris mad fre
?1438 Alex. ii 4948.
Qvhen auld King Clarus saw cum nere Marciane and his presonere He said [etc.]
c1400 Troy-Bk. ii 1386.
Presoneris [: maneris]
c1420 Wynt. viii 6580.
Thaire presoneris wyth thame ledand
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1735.
Presonar
1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 263.
Ȝour pressonar I yeild me
1548 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale App. lxxxvi.
To lat wss hayve to souerte, Robert Crosar, your presonare, taken by youe
1559 Knox VI 60.
Preasoner
c1590 Fowler II 102/17.(4) a1400 Leg. S. xl 1123.
Of that land ȝet brocht haf I A man to ȝou as presonere [: chere]
?1438 Alex. ii 2824.
Thay … hes him led As thare presoner
c1420 Wynt. v 2298.
Than wes Waleryane Yholdyn and as presownere [C. preson] tane
Ib. iv 1390. a1500 Bk. Chess 1165.
Presoner [: swere]
1498 Acta Conc. II 240.
In the taking of him as presonare to thame
1544–5 Treas. Acc. VIII 343. 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 249.
Presonaris
c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 140.
Nor ȝit, as presoner, vnto my fois me ȝeild
1551 Hamilton Cat. 159. 1562-3 Winȝet I 37/22.
Leidand … men as captiuis and bunde presoneris
1569 Reg. Privy C. II 62.
To tak and hald the persoun … and keip and use him as a presonar
(5) 1375 Barb. xiii 527 (E).
To quhat man art thow presoner [: her (= here adv.)]
c1420 Wynt. vi 1430.
Presownare
1490 Irland Mir. II 31/25.
This innemy was presoneir thrall and subiekt to Ihesus
a1500 Bk. Chess 1159.
His lawte maid him presoner to be
1512 Treas. Acc. IV 348.
Ane wyff, quhais husband … is presonare in Lantoune
1543–4 Corr. M. Lorraine 69.
I wald I had bene presonare to the Turk that houre I tuk syk chargis for yow
1548 Ib. 231.
My lord is determit to ramane presunir quhill God send better
1547–8 Ib. 213.
Presonerris
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1179.
And thare remanit presoneir, In that dungeoun, thre thousand ȝeir
Ib. 3816.
Presoneris [: ȝeris]
1562-3 Winȝet II 3/10.
Nehemias, being presoner (albeit gentlie intertineit) in a strange countrey
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 26.
Pressounaris
Ib. 27.
Presounaris
a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 220.
Preasoners
(6) 1375 Barb. ix 461 (E).
And presonerys that thar tuk he He send quhar thai mycht haldyn be
Ib. v 401, xii 307. ?1438 Alex. ii 4069.
Or he sic presonere thare suld tak That [etc.]
c1420 Wynt. iv 2054.
Presownerys tane in to that stede Wes reknyd sevynty thousand gude
14.. Acts I 715/2 (red). c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3558.
Thinkand he sould strike doun ane presonere To mak him riche and kepe him fro mystere
1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 113.
Presoneris [: bachileris]
1596 Dalr. II 314/28.
Dessie … tuik tua hunder presoneris
(7) c1420 Wynt. iv 952.
Thai thowcht … to … mak hym presonare
a1500 Henr. Fab. 1423.
Now am I tane ane wofull presonair [: alquhair, thair]
Id. Bludy Serk 52.
That prince … tuke him presoneir [: heir, feir, weir]
1531 Bell. Boece I 171. 1544–5 Treas. Acc. VIII 361.
Ane Inglische man tane be thame presoner at the feild of Ankcrum
1549 Compl. 117/20.
Incontenent the Ephores constitut hym presoneir for the Ephores … var of sa grit authorite that [etc.]
c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1421.
Presonar [: Dumbar]
1558-66 Knox II 133.
The King of Navar and the prince war constitut preasonaris
1570 Leslie 47.
Presoneiris
1571 Reg. Privy C. II 83, 84. 1571 Misc. Bann. C. III 118.
[They] passit till visie Charles and was haldin presonaris in the Marschelsea
a1578 Pitsc. I 227/23.
Pressonar
c1590 Fowler II 101/6.
Not slaying others in battell bot makking other presoners
(8) fig. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 950 (Harl.).
As presonere commend thé in His cure
a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 775.
Now Dede fra pane hes tane him presoneir [: peir, steir]
c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii 1 (B).
Sen that I am a presoneir [: ȝeir, laseir] Till hir that farest is
c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Timothe i 8.
Presonnere
a1568 Bann. MS 264 a/3.
Presoneir [: weir]
1549 Compl. 64/28.
Lady help ȝour presoneir [etc.]
a1568 Scott ix 20.
Ane hairt … That is ȝour hairtis presoneir [: seir]
c1590 Fowler I 98/24.
These whome lowe … had with him captiwe led As presoneris
c1600 Montg. Suppl. vii 51.
Pressoner [: compair, cair]
(9) transf. a1578 Pitsc. I 227/11.
Thair captane quhilk tuik all the fyue Inglis scheipis and brocht them to Leyth as pressoneris

2. A person held in a public prison as the result of a legal process.i.e. to await trial, as a debtor or pledge, or, in some cases, as a punishment: see Murray Early B. Organ. II 510 f. a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii 89.
In ȝour tolbuth sic presouneris to plant Wilbe ressauit weill
1573 Reg. Privy C. II 275.
That na personis tak upoun to enter as presoner, or to pay ransoun
a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 257.
The minister at Paislay having apprehendit the preasoner thoght gude also to [etc.]
1680 Dunlop P. III 9.
My husband must ether … transacke to pay in sewen thousand markes … or elles he must be still presionr
1725 Banff Ann. I 98.
Robert Young, presiner here, wagabound and kaird

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"Presoner n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/presonere>

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